Weekend Escape: Zaca Lake : A fireplace, a view of the water and a lodge with a chef. Now, that’s a retreat.

It was early afternoon that sunny fall day as my husband and I lounged at the edge of tiny Zaca Lake, with gathering clouds above and a rising breeze that sent the amber-colored aspens into a flutter.

*

With the baby monitor clipped to my pants and my 10-month-old son sleeping peacefully in his portable crib 200 feet away in our rented cabin, my husband and I reveled in the peace, he dabbling in water colors and I finishing a book, both looking up occasionally to watch the resident coots run across the water with staccato slaps against the surface. It was one of those moments so serene and complete that I will store it away to conjure up when needed.Our reverie in the sun that afternoon, it turned out, was only one of several memorable moments at the quaint and quirky lake resort, which feels less like a privately owned “island” in the Los Padres National Forest and more like a New England summer retreat.

It was a spot we had long wanted to visit, one we had heard about from friends in Santa Barbara. The 320-acre private parcel surrounded by the national forest was homesteaded 85 years ago and was a favorite haunt of the Chumash long before that. Fed by mountain runoff and underground sources, Zaca is the only natural lake in Santa Barbara County.

And so, on a weekend when it was still relatively hot in Los Angeles, we headed north for a three-day escape. Our trip began like most of our family outings: a late start, the trunk jammed full with a stroller, which we didn’t need, a baby backpack, which we used a lot and the portable crib, which is essential for babies because the resort does not have cribs.

Leaving from Ventura, and with a two-hour drive ahead of us (about 3 1/2 hours from Los Angeles), we headed north on the Ventura Freeway toward Santa Barbara. To reach Zaca Lake, and the wine country for that matter, one takes California 154, San Marcos Pass turnoff, which is just past the La Cumbre exit in Santa Barbara. The highway, which cuts through the Santa Ynez Mountains and overlooks Lake Cachuma, offers one of the nicest vistas in Southern California.

We arrived at the main building at the resort just as the afternoon light was beginning to fade. After we checked in, my son and I settled onto the stone patio at the lake’s edge for a bit of rice cereal and carrots. It turned out not to be much more than a bit because Ko’o, a large white Samoyed-looking dog that is alleged to be part wolf, gently licked the dish clean after I inadvertently set it down for a moment. Russ, the helpful maintenance and little-of-everything resort employee from Maine, shooed the resident dog away and apologized.

*

At the Human Potential Foundation at Zaca Lake, as the resort is officially known, $110 a night plus tax buys you remote; it buys you rustic charm; it even buys you romantic; it does not buy you luxury. (The weekend would now cost $121 for the first night and $99 for the second, $20 less than it was a year ago.)

(The Human Potential Foundation was created by owner Gerald Kessler when he and his son, Craig, purchased the resort in the mid-1980s. The Kesslers intend eventually to make the resort as self-sufficient as possible, producing its own energy through solar or methane power and growing all the vegetables used at the restaurant.)

A quarter-mile around the lake, which measures only 18 acres, was our cabin for the weekend, No. 9. The log cabins, which were built in the ‘30s and ‘40s, were cozy little rooms, about 15 by 15 feet, with knotty-pine paneling, large stone fireplaces in the center and windows in the back with views of the trees and the lake.

The queen-sized bed was firm enough and gave us a comfortable night’s sleep. The bedclothes were plain, but adequate. Our room needed recarpeting, but the feeling overall is that of a sweet, cozy mountain cabin. (Many of the cabins, according to the resort clerk, have now been recarpeted.) The bathroom, which is the same in all cabins, we were told, was a huge tiled affair with a giant wall heater that warmed the entire cabin. The room also offered a large tiled Jacuzzi that doubled as a bath or shower.

It would also have been perfect for a romantic party of two, with champagne chilling in a bucket nearby. . . . Alas, maybe another trip. . . . The tub appeared to have been well scrubbed but needed a rinse before I was prepared to dip in.

The windows on the back of the cabin looked out to a small patio with a picnic table and the leaf-covered forest floor sloping to the lake just beyond. At an elevation of only 2,400 feet, the pines were mixed with oak, one outside our door so huge that its trunk would have taken four adults to encircle. That elevation also allows for chilly winter nights, but it always warms up to sweater weather during the daytime, we were told.

And it was quiet. With only 17 cabins at the resort, there was not a lot of traffic. In addition, it seemed most people who came to stay a day or two spent their time on foot, walking around the lake and exploring the hilly hiking trails.

That night, we had dinner at the lodge, sharing the large dining room with four or five other couples--the most people we saw at one time the entire weekend. The dining room, which virtually slopes toward the water, is lined with windows for a lake view across the front. There’s a stove in the center of the room for chilly winter nights.

The chef, a burly man from Sweden with an accent that reflected his sojourns around the world, came to our table to tell us what he could prepare for us that night. Nilas Henning offered me several vegetarian choices, as I had called ahead. The regular menu for that night offered a choice of grilled salmon steak in bearnaise sauce for $18.95 or honey chicken breast for $16.95.

My entree was a large plate of beautifully presented vegetables encircling a delicately seasoned, generous serving of stuffed tomato over a bed of wild rice. The vegetables, including baby carrots, squash and green beans, were properly cooked, nicely seasoned and quite tasty. My husband’s salmon was fresh and delicious in its light sauce. It was served with sauteed string beans in a thyme sauce and spaghetti squash.

At night, subtle yellow lights illuminate the dirt road around the lake. We took the 20-minute walk in the evening breeze, returning to put the baby to bed. Although the weather wasn’t cold, we lit a fire with the wood the resort provided--they would bring more if we wanted it--and enjoyed the rest of the evening and some more wine.

Next morning, to give my husband a few extra winks, I strapped on the backpack and the baby, and I walked over to the lodge, where Russ poured me a cup of coffee in the kitchen and the chef offered me a muffin. We returned for a crispy waffle breakfast once the whole family was up.

Next, it was back to our cabin for the baby’s nap and the quiet afternoon at the water’s edge. That afternoon, we returned to our favorite Santa Barbara County winery, Carey Cellars, owned by a member of the Firestone family. We like the wine and the small converted craftsman-style ranch house set on a slight hill. Afterward, we spread a blanket on the lawn, ate our picnic of sandwiches and pasta salad and decided to call our wine tasting to an early end.

Another good night’s sleep and we headed out for a crisp fall hike in the woods under the changing leaves. We chose a relatively flat trail through the rolling hills. But another couple we met at the resort had taken a four-mile loop the day before up over the ridgeline, a trip they said offered beautiful views and a good challenge.

With one more breakfast back at the lodge and after lingering over coffee on the patio, we said our goodby to Chef Henning and his crew. It was Monday morning and we were starting to feel like part of the family. We left with a promise to return, possibly with friends for a group weekend, or possibly only with a party of two.

Budget for Three

Two nights at Zaca Lake: $240

Gas from Ventura: $20

Two dinners, one lunch, two breakfasts, Zaca Lake lodge: $95

Wine for dinner: $16

Chocolate: $4

FINAL TAB: $375

The Human Potential Foundation at Zaca Lake , P.O. Box 187, Los Olivos, Calif. 93441; tel. (805) 688-4891.